Partial mastectomy

The data in this study show that partial mastectomy with or without axillary dissection is followed by a relatively good life expectancy. Theoretical arguments against partial mastectomy have included 'a violation of cancer surgical principles' and 'an inadequate cancer operation.' In addition to these arguments, recent pathological studies have shown that 'simulated partial mastectomy' in radical or modified radical mastectomy specimens would leave foci of intraductal or infiltrating cancer in 20 to 30 per cent of cases. This histologic finding reported by Rosen et al. does not seem to correlate with our clinical follow-up in which only eight patients developed a recurrent or new primary lesion, one of whom had a new primary cancer (different cell type) at 15 years. Final follow-up will not be complete until all patients have died of natural causes or disease. The present data indicate that in selected cases the results of partial mastectomy are equal to those of other radical operations done for patients with the same stage of the disease. The 5 and 10 year survival are similar to modified radical mastectomy reported in many institutions and studies.